Report: Vikings originally wanted to bring back Sam Darnold

[ASFN Admin]

The Minnesota Vikings let Sam Darnold walk during the 2025 off-season, just weeks after he led the franchise to a 13-4 record before ultimately falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. Darnold would ultimately sign with the Seattle Seahawks, and we all know how that turned out. Reports indicate that the Vikings, while unable to make the money work, were very interested in bringing Darnold back.

Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer claims the Vikings wanted to bring back either Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones for this last season, to compete with J.J. McCarthy.

"Meanwhile, the Vikings were 4–8, and J.J. McCarthy’s growing pains had led to discussions about Minnesota’s next steps at QB—with a reclamation project, like the one the team undertook with Sam Darnold in 2025, a logical option for 2026. That would essentially run back the initial plan for 2025, which was to bring back Darnold or Daniel Jones to compete with McCarthy, before those guys found greener pastures. Murray was one of a handful of guys Minnesota dove into and studied."

The Minnesota Vikings would sign Kyler Murray in free agency to a one-year deal to compete with McCarthy in camp. However, the widespread belief is that Murray is heavily favored to be the week one starter in 2026, which could breathe new life into an offense that struggled mightily last season.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Did the Vikings want to bring back Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones?

Continue reading...